A new report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), supported by professional services firm, Arup, calls on the built environment industry to adopt a whole life-cycle approach to assessing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings. The authors of the report estimate that less than 1% of building projects currently calculate and report their full carbon footprint. The building industry is responsible for 38%, or around 14 gigatons, of all energy-related GHG emissions each year. Global decarbonization trajectories indicate that the industry needs to reduce these emissions by 50% by 2030 if it is to reach net zero by mid-century and achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.
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